Ducks: How to get back in the game

This has been a dismal time for Ducks' fans. As if it weren't enough to watch the rival Kings prance to the Stanley Cup, they watched Justin Schultz, their long-awaited defenseman savior from the University of Wisconsin, escape into free agency.

Add that to the annual vigil as Teemu Selanne decides whether to come back, and you couldn't blame Ducks fans for secretly praying for a lockout.

But things can change quickly. In February it seemed likely that the Ducks would make the playoffs and not at all certain that the Kings would.

Much work needs to be done to get the Ducks back into playoff mode for the first time since 2010. Here's a few places to start.